


Checkdate

by knightofsuperior



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-12-02 11:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11508375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightofsuperior/pseuds/knightofsuperior
Summary: After a bittersweet Valentine's, Ren Amamiya and Hifumi Togo have both fallen into a depression, resigned to their inevitable separation in March. Ren's friends decide to try to give the two a date to remember...with them as the hosts, organizers, and even chefs. What could possibly go wrong?[ON HIATUS]





	1. The Setup

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place after the final boss of Persona 5. Spoilers are abound.

“This is bullshit.”

The declaration hung in the air for a good five seconds. Soon after, it was followed by another:

“This is total bullshit!”

Ann sighed, looking up from her curry. “We heard you the first time, Ryuji.”

“I know, but-this just isn’t fair!” Ryuji scratched his head, muttering a couple more curses under his breath. “He doesn’t deserve this crap, y’know?”

Sojiro scowled at the young man from LeBlanc’s tiny kitchenette, letting go of the wooden spoon he was using to stir a pot of boiling curry. “Are you insulting my food, kid? Or do you just like having to pay for your meals?”

Ryuji dropped his spoon, stammering “N-no way, Boss! I ain’t talkin’ about-were you even listening?”

“I don’t make it a point to eavesdrop on conversations,” Sojiro drawled, turning to face the two blondes. The two had come in despondent, if not downright depressed, so Sojiro _had_ intended to leave them be. But, things were never easy with these kids, even after the whole Phantom Thief business had come to an end. “What’s the matter? Lover’s spat?”

Ann coughed on a spoonful of curry, eyes widening at the question. After grabbing a quick swig of water (though the poor girl appeared to be treating it like a river in a dry land), Ann replied, “Of course not! We’re not-I mean, he and I-the two of us- “

“We’re not datin’ if that’s what you’re askin’, Boss.” Ryuji shook his head. “Seriously, where do people get that idea?”

“…I don’t think I’ll dignify that with an answer,” Sojiro grumbled. “But if it’s not that, what’s got you all riled up?”

“It’s Ren.” Ann crossed her arms, glancing towards the staircase that led to LeBlanc’s attic. “He’s not here, right?”

“Nah, sent him out on a grocery trip. He should be back soon, though.”

“Alright. I’m not sure he’d want us talking about this.” Ann glanced at Ryuji, who was in the middle of shoveling down the remainder of his curry. “Ryuji, you’re the one who noticed. Could you stop eating for maybe one second to explain before Ren walks in?”

“Mph-two seconds,” he said through a full mouth. Taking a large gulp of water ( _Where do these two pack it away?_ Sojiro wondered), Ryuji let out a satisfied “Whew! Good as always, Boss.” Not a moment later, however, his chipper demeanor dropped. “But, she’s right. Boss, has Ren seemed…off to you today?”

As a matter of fact, the barista did. It didn’t make much sense when he thought about it; the kid had just been freed from jail, gotten his cat back from…wherever he went, and his girlfriend had over for a nice Valentine’s Day dinner. The very next morning, though, all traces of joy and happiness had drained from Ren's face, and while he was still very friendly to Sojira, Futaba, and Morgana in the morning, he caught him staring wistfully at the door a few times, as if expecting someone else altogether to stroll in. “I might have,” Sojiro eventually answered. “Wouldn’t anyone be off after months in the slammer?”

“Well, yeah, but…when we saw him at school, he just kept looking at his phone.” Ryuji replied, a grimace on his face. “More than usual, anyway.”

Ann nodded. “He dropped it in the hall on the way to lunch, and when I picked it up to give it back to him, it was on this photo of him and a girl. She looked familiar, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her around the school. When I asked him about it, he got quiet and said he was too tired to explain, that he’d tell me later. I mean, I want to take him at his word,” she clarified, looking down at her plate, “But it all just seems too strange.”

“Yeah,” Ryuji added, “It ain’t hard to put two and two together on this one. Somethin’s up with him and her. It ain’t fair-he just got out! He should be havin’ the time of his life, and he’s just…depressed, man. We wanna do more for him.”

Sojiro frowned. Looks like he’d have to be the adult here. Not like that was anything new, to be fair. “Look, you two, I know you’re worried and all, but it’s Ren's right to tell you how he feels when he feels like it. I’m sure he’d appreciate any support you could give him, but this is a bit too much. I don’t think you two should be playing amateur detectives on this one, alright?”

The two deflated, each muttering a “Yes, Boss,” in response.

“Good.” Sojiro let out a small smile. “Besides, I’m sure he’ll be back to normal in no time at all.”

“Oh, good,” a new voice piped up from a corner of the room. “I hope that will apply to Togo-san as well.”

“Holy shit!” Ryuji jumped up in his barstool, its wooden legs rocking precariously back and forth as he wheeled around to the sound of the voice. Yusuke, sketchbook in hand and his head down into its paper, darted his pen back and forth. “When the hell did you get here?!”

“I’ve been here,” Yusuke answered nonchalantly, not even looking up from his work. “Please stay still; it’s hard to capture your jacket when it’s ruffling around like that.”

“But-we didn’t even see you! Or hear you! How the hell’d you do that?!”

“I’m Batman,” Yusuke replied flatly. The bar was silent for a moment, with even Sojiro dumbfounded at the reply. “Well, that’s what Futaba said I should say the next time someone asked, at least.”

Before Ryuji could complain, Ann cut into the conversation. “Wait, did you say ‘Togo-san?’ As in the Venus of Shogi?”

“I believe that’s what some call her, yes.” Yusuke smiled, putting down his pencil. “Yes, I think this will do nicely.”

“Uh…Venus of Shogi?” Ryuji asked. “What, so, she’s a planet? Or does she dress up in a Sailor Moon costume?”

Ann groaned. “No, she’s a shogi champion. That’s just what the media calls her. Or called her, rather. There was a match-fixing scandal.” She paused, putting a hand on her chin. “Actually, didn’t we face a Togo in Mementos?”

“Her mother, I believe,” Yusuke confirmed. “She was the one fixing the matches and I believe that Ren insisted we take her heart and help Togo. I assumed it was just another one of our missions, like the one with the Takases, or Ms. Oda (at this, Ann could barely hear Ryuji mutter “What’s with all the moms?”), but perhaps…” Yusuke trailed off, his mind in thought. “Togo-san was rather vocal about Ren's release, if I recall.”

“Maybe it was just another request at the time,” Ann said, “But it sounds like our Leader decided to go above and beyond the call of duty afterwards.”

Sojiro put a hand on his forehead, sliding it up his head and through his hair in exasperation. “And after I went through all the trouble to keep it a secret…thanks, kid,” he muttered towards Yusuke.

“…you’re welcome?” Sojiro groaned.

 Ryuji grinned wide, his glee loud and clear. “Aw, hell yeah! Ren's dating a space girl!”

“I just told you, it’s not the planet!” Ann snapped. She turned back to Yusuke. “What were you saying about Togo-san earlier? About her getting back to normal?”

Yusuke flipped through his sketchbook. “Well, the problem is she seems rather out of it herself. Throughout the day, it was like she was suffering from some horrible malaise.” He paused on one page, showing the assembled group an image of a young, long-haired woman with her hand on her chin. Her gaze was directed towards what looked like a CD case, and she wore a dissatisfied frown on her face.

“You…did ask her for permission to draw her, right?” Sojiro asked, eyes narrowing.

“Of course, Boss. Well,” Yusuke admitted, “After the fact. She seemed fine with it, however. Her thoughts appeared to be elsewhere, if I’m being honest. I even asked her how she felt- “Ryuji opened his mouth to say something, but Ann covered it with her hand. “-and she said she was fine. She did mention something about a boyfriend who was going away, but she didn’t care to elaborate.”

“Going away, huh…” Ryuji nodded sagely-or at least, as sagely as Ryuji could get. “If she’s dating Ren, then that’d match up. But he ain’t movin’ for another month at least; what’s stopping them from going on more dates? Or hell, they could date via video chat or something, right? I’m sure Futaba could hook Ren up with a good webcam.”

“I don’t think that’s the problem.” Ann’s expression fell as realization began to dawn on her. “No matter how many dates they go on, or how often they talk after that, Ren's still going back home-and he won’t be back for a long time. That puts a strain on any relationship, not being able to actually be near the person you love…”

Ryuji quieted. “…shit. Hadn’t thought of that.”

“Wrong answer! You just got on the bad end route, Ryuji. Too bad, so sad.” Another voice sniped from behind the delinquent. This time, Ryuji (whether by instinct or quick thinking) grabbed ahold of the countertop to keep from leaping into the ceiling.

“Effin’ Hell, Futaba!” Ryuji spun around to face the grinning, orange-haired girl. She was sitting on the stairs (though Ann could have sworn they were empty before), typing away at her laptop. “Between you and Yusuke, I’m about to have a heart attack!”

“And I’m going to need a new countertop if you keep digging your nails into it,” Sojiro growled. Ryuji immediately let go, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Turning back to Futaba, Ryuji asked, “How’d you get in here?”

“I’m Batman,” she boasted, making a mask with her fingers over her eyes.

“I thought I was Batman?” Yusuke asked from the other side of the room.

“We’re both Batman, Inari.”

“Oh. Alright, then.”

"Why Batman, anyway?" Ryuji asked. "Isn't he American?"

"It's a meme, Ryuji." Futaba stated bluntly. "You wouldn't understand."

"...ok, but, isn't it an American-"

“Anyway,” Futaba continued, cutting Ryuji off at the pass, “I was upstairs waiting on Ren to get back, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.”

“Futaba,” Sojiro warned, “I thought I told you to drop the bugs.”

“I used my internal microphone to pick it up, Sojiro, LeBlanc’s clean!” Futaba huffed, closing her laptop for the moment. “And I think I’ve heard enough. We have to do something to keep these two from getting a game over!”

“Something?” Ann asked. “What can we do? Like Boss said, it’s not our place to interfere.”

“See, she’s talking sense.” Sojiro shook his head. “You can’t just force a couple to be happy. They should find that happiness themselves. Speaking from experience here.”

Futaba glared, pushing up her glasses. “Well, no duh. I’m not that underleveled that I don’t have at least enough Understanding to see when Ren needs help.”

“Uh…what?” Ryuji asked. “Understanding what?”

“Nevermind.” She looked down for a moment. “…he’s done a lot for me.” Futaba looked to the group. “I…” It looked like she was about to say something, but she quietly let the sentence die. “He’s done a lot for us,” she amended after a moment. “We can’t just let him leave without giving him his Best End, right?” A silence fell over the café. It was clear that everyone-even Sojiro-could see her point…even if the terminology was a little strange.

“Also, Sojiro, the curry pot’s boiling over,” Futaba added.

Sojiro’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “Oh, **_crap!”_**

As Sojiro rushed to his curry Ann looked at the others. “Futaba’s right. Ren's done so much over the past year for all of us, but when it comes to his own happiness, he’s just like we all were before he came along. We have to help somehow.”

“Well, of course,” Yusuke replied, “But what is there to do?”

Ryuji looked down at his empty plate. “I dunno, man. Maybe we could all pitch in for the two to have a nice date somewhere? Maybe Tokyo Destinyland if we really try, or at least a sushi place?”

Futaba frowned. “Not sure I can do much on that front. I’m bone dry on gil.”

“I could see about taking on a couple more shoots,” Ann said, “But work’s been slow lately, so I’m not sure that I’ll get enough in time.”

“…I have a coupon for the diner in Shibuya,” Yusuke offered.

Ryuji laid his head down on the countertop. “And I just spent my last spare change on some ramen yesterday. Maybe we can ask Haru? Or maybe Makoto? I’d imagine her sis would want to reward the guy who helped put Shido away.”

“I’m not sure it’d be that easy.” Ann started doing the math in her head, tapping her fingers on the counter. “Even with Haru’s money, she may not be able to access all of it right away-and I don’t think we could ask Nijima-san to spot us with the bills she probably has. It’d be easier if we could find an affordable place for Ren and Togo-san…to…” She trailed off, staring at Sojiro frantically trying to wipe his curry pot down without setting his cleaning rag aflame. Her gaze travelled all over LeBlanc, almost analytical, as her expression turned neutral.

“Ann? Is something wrong?” Yusuke asked. Futaba glanced over at Sojiro, and then to Ann.

“…are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Futaba asked, her Cheshire grin returning with a vengeance. Ann gleefully returned the grin before looking to the others.

“Ryuji, can you message Haru and Makoto to meet us at, say, the Station Square in around half an hour?”

“Uh, sure.” Ryuji dug into his pockets. “Why there?”

“We can’t have Ren finding anything out,” Futaba answered, opening her laptop again. She typed away furiously. “I’m looking up pricing for decorations.”

“Decorations?” Yusuke asked. “For what occasion?”

Ann turned back to Sojiro, who had finally gotten a lid on the curry. “Hey, Boss?”

“Sweet mother of God, that was more difficult than-hm?” He glanced back at Ann, his usual smirk returning to his face. “What’s up?”

“How busy is LeBlanc on the weekends?”

“Not too bad, usually,” Sojiro said. “Most people tend to go to the fancier spots for their dates on the weekend, so it’s normally…” His mouth formed an “o” as he realized where she was going with this. He nodded. “It’s all your’s. Futaba can let you in whenever needed.”

A “mwehehe” from the other side of the room affirmed this.

Ann nodded. “Thanks, Boss!”

“Don’t mention it. Seriously, don’t,” he clarified, looking particularly at Ryuji. “If your little plan is going to work, everyone has to keep silent. Everyone.”

“Hey! I’m good at being quiet!” The whole room turned to look at Ryuji. “…on most occasions. …some occasions,” he grumbled.

“I’m afraid I still don’t understand,” Yusuke said. “What, exactly, is the plan?”

Ann leaned forward in her seat. “The plan is to give Ren and Togo-san a date they’re never going to forget. Consider it the Phantom Thieves’ final and most important operation yet.”

“We need a name for it if it’s an operation,” Futaba called from behind her screen. “Ryuji, name.”

“What? Why me?”

“Cause I’m busy.”

Ryuji put down his phone and closed his eyes for a moment. “Okay, well…how about Operation Venus?”

“Bzzt. Next.”

“Wh-it’s cause she’s the Venus, or whatever! It fits!”

Yusuke held his pen up as if composing a name in the air. “Operation Akigo, perhaps?”

“Akigo?” Ann asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Futaba told me it is common for couples to have combined names for their relationships.”

“We’re going to have to put a few more ranks into that skill,” Futaba muttered.

“How about Operation ‘Thank You, Boss?’ I think it has a ring to it,” Sojiro said with a shrug.

Ann snapped her fingers, the sound echoing through LeBlanc. “I’ve got it!” She grabbed a large napkin, fumbling her hand around on the table. “Yusuke, pen!” Yusuke gracefully tossed the pen into the air towards Ann, who caught it with expert precision. Ignoring the cry of “QTE!” from Futaba as she and the others approached, Ann scribbled something onto the napkin, letting the ink dry for a moment before showcasing her handiwork to the team.

Ryuji grimaced like someone had kicked him below the belt.

Yusuke simply offered an affirmative nod.

Futaba let out a gleeful gasp. “Perfect!”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.” Sojiro leaned over. “What’ve we got here?”

Written on the napkin were two words that were about to take the Phantom Thieves by storm:

“Operation Checkdate.”


	2. The Setup (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Mr. Ushimaru have a heart to heart; meanwhile, the gang debates aesthetics, food, and finances.

“Amamiya!”

Ren Amamiya sighed, tilting his head to the side as a piece of chalk hurtled past his head. He was forever grateful that Ushimaru’s pitching arm was only good at short-range, meaning the poor students behind him didn’t take the bullet. “I’m sorry, sir, did you need me for something?”

Ignoring the snickering and whispers of the rest of the class, Ushimaru scowled, arms crossed. “Why yes, Amamiya, I do. I’ll kindly ask you to stop staring off into space when I’m trying to teach. You may be top of the class, but that doesn’t mean you- “

“- ‘get to slack off, you kids these days don’t know how well you have it.’ Right?” Ren grinned, wisely keeping his head down as he spoke.

Ushimaru’s frown grew. “Listen, you, I don’t think you understand exactly what position you’re- “

The bell rang right before Ushimaru could even get his last word out. The old man sighed, shaking his head. “Class dismissed. Test’s on Friday. Don’t forget it.” As the students began to leave their seats, Ren included, Ushimaru slammed a piece of chalk down onto the desk. “Not yet, Amamiya. Outside. Now.”

Ren tried to ignore the whispers around him (“Even after he’s proven innocent, he’s still getting picked on by Ushimaru?” “Maybe he really is a delinquent, even if he’s innocent!” “He’s being framed again!”) as he followed Ushimaru out of the room. The two walked out of the class’s earshot, Ren beginning to feel a sense of dread. Did he go too far this time?

Ushimaru paused, glancing over his shoulder briefly at the throng of students milling about. “Amamiya, I consider myself a reasonable man. Wouldn’t you agree?”

_I’m not sure he wants me to answer that honestly…_

“Of course, Mr. Ushimaru.”

“Cut the brown-nosing,” Ushimaru grumbled. “I’m not here to punish you or anything.” His features softened, a trait that Ren wasn’t even aware that the old teacher had. “I wanted to check on you. Well, Kawakami wanted me to,” he admitted with a shrug. Ren's tense stance loosened up.

“Then, with all due respect Mr. Ushimaru, why isn’t she?”

“She took leave today, so she couldn’t talk to you herself. Something about prior plans. But…” Ushimaru sighed. “I can’t deny I was worried too.”

“Worried?” Ren raised an eyebrow. “About me?”

“You went to jail, Amamiya,” Ushimaru stated bluntly.  “I’ll be honest, when I first heard the news, I was ecstatic. You’re a smart kid, but you got a bit too big for your britches. I thought it’d be a good way to straighten you out.” Ren's face, neutral as it was, twitched somewhat at the comment. “But then, your friends started campaigning. Complaining about how it was wrongful imprisonment. That you weren’t some lousy delinquent, that you were framed.”

“…well, I was.” Ren said, his tone cool.

“You were,” Ushimaru nodded. “I’ll be frank here-I still think you’re a punk kid. You don’t learn how to dodge my chalk like you do without having something to get away with doing. But, at the very least…you’re no criminal. You deserve a chance to be heard. So, I feel it’s fair to ask, as your teacher: how’re you feeling?”

Ren was surprised, to say the least. This level of…he wouldn’t exactly call it kindness, but honesty from Ushimaru was a welcome change of pace. If he still had Arsene, he’d probably be hearing the whole “Thou hast blah blah Confidant blah blah insert Tarot Card here” spiel. But, given that time didn’t freeze (as far as he could tell), it was probably best to answer the teacher right away.

“I’m…okay. I’m not great,” Ren admitted, scratching his wrists. It was a habit he needed to break, but after months of scratching the itch caused by those cold handcuffs at any opportune moment, it wasn’t one he was giving up soon. “But I’m free. It’s taking some getting used to.”

Ushimaru nodded. “That’s understandable. Still, you’re already falling back into old habits.” At this, the teacher glared at the phone in Ren's hand. “You know I don’t allow phones in class, Amamiya.”

Ren flinched. “I know, sir, but- “

“Forget it.” Ushimaru shook his head. “I told you the rules. If you forget them, you’re going to get called out on it-and sooner or later, I’m going to have to punish you for it. Who’re you even texting so much that you can’t wait an hour?”

Ren's face fell as he glanced down at the phone. It stared back, blank and emotionless. “I…a few people, really. It’s always important, I assure you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Next time I see that thing out, I’m aiming for it.” Ushimaru glared, his glasses emanating a sinister shine. “Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Now, I’ve done my part. Now get going, unless you like going hungry for the second half of the day.” With a nod, Ren walked past Ushimaru. He could have sworn he felt the teacher’s gaze all the way up until he reached the bottom of the floor’s staircase. Opening his phone once he was sure that his teacher’s eyes were no longer upon him, Ren frowned. No new messages. He didn’t know why everyone was so quiet today. By this point, Ryuji would be blowing up his phone about the latest chapter of whatever his latest manga obsession was, Haru would be inviting him to assist in the garden…hell, even Yusuke would ask him to go on some weird outing for the sake of art around this time. But, for the past day and a half, everyone had been silent. Even Sojiro had been tight-lipped, a smug grin on his face for most of their conversations the night before.

Unfortunately, that silence included the one he wanted to hear from the most.

Ren didn’t blame Hifumi for her silence over the past few days-after all, he’d dropped the bombshell on her that he was to leave sooner rather than later, and it seemed to take as much of a toll on her as it did on him. He hoped they would be able to make plans for the rest of the month, but she’d deferred at the time. Maybe it was too much too soon.

That still didn’t explain the others…

As he stood in contemplation, Morgana poked his head out of the boy’s schoolbag. “Hey, why’d we stop? Aren’t we getting some lunch?”

Ren chuckled, giving the cat a nod as he moved into a corner. It was best not to be seen in school talking to a cat. Or, really, with a cat at all. “Yes, we are. I was just…thinking.”

“About Hifumi?”

He nodded again. “Yeah, but about everyone, really. You didn’t see Ann in class today, did you?”

Morgana shook his head. “To be honest, I didn’t take Lady Ann for someone who would skip school. Do you think she’s okay?”

“I’m sure she is,” Ren reassured Morgana. “Maybe she had a magazine shoot?”

“Maybe, but still…you haven’t seen the others either, right?”

“…maybe…they all had magazine shoots?” Ren offered weakly. The paw that went straight to Morgana’s face was answer enough to that suspicion. “Well, where else would they be?”

* * *

 “Objection!”

“Oh, what now?!” Ryuji fumed, precariously perched on a ladder in LeBlanc’s kitchen. In his hands was part of a large banner, engulfed in ornate designs and fancy fonts. Its corners were attached to loosely-tied string on the wall of the café. Yusuke calmly held the ladder still as Ryuji wobbled, pulling the banner down towards himself. “You told me to put it to the left!”

“Please, stay as still as possible, Ryuji,” Yusuke asked. “Falling from that height would be problematic to say the least.”

“My left!” Futaba shouted, typing away on her laptop. She sat atop LeBlanc’s counter, her head tilted slightly as she looked at Ryuji’s handiwork. “They’re not going to be able to read it the right corner is backwards!”

“Well which way do you want it, left?!”

“Right, left!”

Ryuji let out growl as he dropped the banner, slowly shuffling the cloth back around. “Stop givin’ me conflictin’ directions!”

“Try learning directions first before you- “

“Stop arguing, you two!” The duo flinched as Makoto snapped at them. The student body president tapped her foot impatiently, scribbling something on a clipboard. “We’ve got half a day to get this set up, and we can’t get distracted. Ryuji, listen to Futaba and put the banner the other way around.”

“Alright, alright,” Ryuji griped. “I’m working on it.”

“Futaba,” Makoto continued, “How’s progress on the lighting?”

The lights in the room went off for a moment (eliciting a startled yelp from Ryuji, and a “Please stop moving!” from Yusuke). Then, they came back up, illuminating the room in a red, unsettling glow. “What do you think?” Futaba asked.

“…we filmin’ a horror movie or something?” Ryuji asked, eyebrow raised. Futaba grumbled in response.

Haru poked her head out from her spot behind the counter, her eyes wide in excitement. “Oh, I like this very much! It reminds me of Mementos!”

Ryuji turned to stare at Haru. “You want to remember that place?!”

“Well, there was just something…interesting about being there!” Haru nodded as she shuffled around some items behind the counter. “Don’t you agree?” She looked to the others, and then Sojiro, who offered a baffled stare in return.

“How should I know?” He turned to Futaba. “Wasn’t Mementos the creepy place you mentioned under the subway?”

“Yah-huh.”

Sojiro looked back to Haru. “…well, I can’t account for taste.”

Futaba snickered. “I think we all knew that by the pink shirt.”

Sojiro chuckled. “Oh, come on, we’ve been over this- “He gave her a smirk in return. “The ladies love it.” Futaba’s head diving into her hands was reward enough for the barista. He turned back to Haru. “Thanks again for spotting the bill for this shindig. It helps take a big load off my back.”

Haru bowed in return, a smile clear on her face. “No, I should be thanking you! It’s the least I could do after you’ve taken the time to give me such helpful advice in the past.”

Sojiro scratched his chin. “Don’t worry about it. Come to think of it, this would probably be a good test run for your brew, don’t you think?”

Haru gasped. “You’re right!” Her smile grew as she ducked back down, sifting through the various coffee beans that Sojiro had on hand. “This is going to be wonderful!”

Makoto chuckled at the exchange, allowing herself to take some joy in Haru’s glee. It was nice to see her so bright and cheerful. Glancing down at the clipboard, she ran her finger down her neatly-written to-do list. “Okay, let’s take stock. Lights, check. Decorations?”

Yusuke leaned over to face Makoto, hands still on the ladder. “Once the banner is up, we should be set. I will need some time to set up the candles, and we’re waiting on that tablecloth from…Ms. Mifune, was it?”

“Right here!” Ann declared, flinging the door open with gusto. Draped over her shoulder was the mystic-looking tablecloth from Chihaya Mifune’s tarot table. It had been surprisingly easy for Ann to get the piece of cloth from her; apparently, Mifune had “seen it in the cards” that someone would come for what was her’s, freeing her from her nightly burdens. Something about it being “destiny”-or maybe she just wanted a night off. Ann couldn’t tell, but hey, it worked out.

“Perfect timing, Ann,” Makoto said, “We need to discuss the music choice for tonight.”

Ryuji muttered under his breath, “Probably was waiting outside the door for the dramatic entrance.” Something small and metallic flew at his forehead, causing the young man to wobble dangerously on the ladder as he let out a startled “Effin’ Hell, Futaba!”

“Inari did it.”

“I most certainly did not!”

Ann sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “Okay, guys? Maybe we’re getting cabin fever from being cooped up in here for so long. How about we take five and just stretch our legs?”

“She’s right, you know,” a voice called from outside. “You’ll want to see some sunlight today.” Ann watched as a woman wearing a sharp black dress and a contrasting white lab coat walked into LeBlanc, glancing around. “Interesting lighting. Filming a horror movie, by any chance?”

Futaba moaned, curling up dramatically on the countertop. “Sojiro, no one here appreciates art! And Inari,” she added to Yusuke’s raised hand, “You don’t count!”

“Well, alright then.”

“Ms. Takemi!” Ann said, a smile growing on her face. “What’re you doing here?”

“Hey, didn’t I tell you? It’s Dr. Takemi. And it’s not even that.” The physician returned a small smile of her own. “With you all, it’s Tae. After all, aren’t I technically a part of your little club?”

“Of course, Tae.” Makoto walked up to the doctor, hand outstretched. “I appreciate you coming in on such short notice.”

Tae took Makoto’s hand, shaking it firmly. “I’m happy to oblige. Makoto, was it?”

Makoto nodded. “That’s right. We should be ready for the inspection in just a moment. Ryuji, are you and Yusuke finished?”

“Yep!” Ryuji climbed down the ladder, gazing up at his and Yusuke’s handiwork. The banner depicted Ren and Hifumi in rather formal wear. Ren's “outfit” was essentially that of his Persona, the phantom thief Arsene Lupin: a top hat, a frilled coat with tails out for vengeance, and a dark pair of dress pants and shoes. Hifumi’s, on the other hand, depicted her as what could best be described as “Shogi Holmes.” She wore a deerstalker, a large overcoat, and held a comically sized magnifying glass in one hand and a set of shogi pieces in her other.

Sojiro frowned at the banner, crossing his arms. “I’m still not sure about this. I mean, I can see the kid in that getup…but wouldn’t his girlfriend be his partner, not his archenemy?”

“Well, I wanted to keep in theme,” Yusuke explained. “Arsene Lupin and Sherlock Holmes are intertwined, much as Ren and Hifumi are. It’s their drive to outdo the other that brings them together…at least, I assume.”

“Yeah,” Ryuji added, “Plus when we tried to get a reference for the whole “Venus” thing, we just kept getting this one painting of a naked lady. Didn’t think Ren would be too fond of us sticking that on the banner.”

As Ann grimaced, Haru spoke up. “Frankly, I don’t think anyone would,” she said, her soft voice betraying an air of definitiveness. “That would be a bit…risqué, don’t you agree?”

“Well, the Venus de Milo is a classic work of art, so I thought for a moment that she might appreciate it. “Yusuke went quiet as the room turned to gawk at him. “…as I said, for a moment.”

“Thank God, he’s finally learning,” Ann sighed.

Tae chuckled, walking into the kitchen. “Now, what exactly do you want me to inspect? I’m not exactly a grocer, so I won’t be able to give you any in-depth analysis on the food here-but I’d like to think I’ve seen enough food poisoning cases to figure out what’s good and what isn’t.”

Makoto flipped through some pages on the clipboard, tearing one out and handing it over to Tae. “We were planning on making these recipes for tonight’s courses, but the ones marked with a star are what we have currently.” Tae nodded.

“Sorry about this,” Sojiro apologized. “I’m normally good about keeping food up-to-date, but we had a bit of a malfunction with the fridge last night. I know it’s not exactly fun to play health inspector.”

“Well, it’s not like Thursdays are my busiest days. Besides, it’s my job to keep people alive,” she replied.

“I promise you,” Haru insisted, “You’ll get paid just like you would with any other- “

Tae held up a hand. “Don’t worry about it. Consider it a “thank you” for saving the world, even if the scale is a bit lopsided.” Haru nodded slowly. As Tae opened the fridge and began to peruse it, Makoto turned to the others. 

“Once this is done, we’ve got a limited timespan to actually prep and cook before Ren and Hifumi arrive. Luckily,” she said, “I think I’ve managed to give us at least an extra two hours on top of what we planned. Not only that, but I can guarantee that our leader will blow Hifumi away in a fantastic outfit.”

Haru clapped her hands together. “That’s fantastic, Mako-chan! But, what exactly did you do?”

Makoto took out her phone, showing it to the others. “Simple. I decided to put my leftover resources to good use.”

* * *

 MISHIMA YUKI

>Hey, Ren! Guess who just won 50,000 yen and is taking you on a trip to the mall after school?!

* * *

 

“You had that much leftover?” Ryuji asked incredulously.

Haru frowned, putting her hands in her pockets as she looked to Makoto. “I would have been happy to assist if you needed, Mako-chan. That’s a lot of money…”

Makoto shook her head. “No need to worry, Haru. I had a lot left over from our last trips into Mementos, and I didn’t want to stretch you any thinner than we are already. You’re putting a lot into this-everyone is. I just wanted to do my part.” Haru nodded, still frowning, but not pressing the subject for the time being. Makoto looked back at her clipboard. “That just leaves waiting on Ms. Kawakami-she said she’d be here soon-and ensuring that Hifumi is here at the same time as Ren. I have a couple different things we can- “

“I’ve already taken care of that.” Yusuke said.

“Oh, great!” Ann said. “Then it’s all…set...” A look of confusion dawned on her face. “How, exactly?”

“Well…”

* * *

  **HIFUMI TOGO, THE VENUS OF SHOGI**

**YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED AT LEBLANC CAFÉ IN YONGEN-JAYA AT 1900 HOURS**

**YOUR PROTÉGÉ WILL GREET YOUR ARRIVAL WITH OPEN ARMS AND A LOVING EMBRACE**

**WE ASK THAT YOU WEAR YOUR FINEST, AND BE PREPARED FOR A NIGHT TO REMEMBER**

**SINCERELY,**

**THE PHANTOM THIEVES OF HEARTS**

Hifumi Togo stared at the card that had been left on her desk. Only one word came to mind:

“…huh?”


	3. The Setup (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yusuke tries to help, Ryuji learns a new word, and Tae offers medical advice.

“You wrote a calling card for Ren’s girlfriend!?” Futaba shrieked storming towards Yusuke from her spot on the stairs.

Unfazed, Yusuke replied, “Of course. After all, if we’re theming this around our little “club,” then it only makes sense that we should tailor the invitations as such- “The blue-haired boy let out a startled yelp as Futaba hopped up and grabbed his collar, pulling him down to her level. “What’s wrong?! Why are you so angry?!”

“This was supposed to be a surprise, you idiot!” Futaba growled, pulling him in closer. “What do we do if Hifumi tells Ren about this? What if they come early to figure out what we’re up to?!”

“I clearly wrote on the card to come at 19:00- “

“That’s not the point!”

Ryuji stepped between the two, tearing Yusuke out of Futaba’s grip. Yusuke immediately proceeded to shuffle behind the bar, much to Sojiro’s chagrin. Ryuji turned to Futaba. “Calm down, would ya? He was tryin’ to help.”

Futaba groaned, putting her head in her hands. “I know, I know…but if either of them show up before everything’s set, their date’ll be ruined!”

Ann crossed her arms, glancing out at the rest of the group. “I’m not so sure it’d go that far, but I do see Futaba’s point. If Yusuke had waited until we were all ready, it wouldn’t be that much of an issue. However, that does beg the question…” Her gaze settled on Yusuke. “Was she the only one you sent a card to?”

“…about that,” Yusuke began.

* * *

 

“Hey, Mishima?”

“Yeah, Ren?” Mishima asked, taking a large bite out of his ice cream cone. Off Ren’s perturbed look, Mishima shrugged. “I’m hungry.”

“Right.” Ren muttered. “I was going to say, how’d you win 50,000 yen?”

“Radio contest.”

“…which one, though?”

He shrugged. “Not one I really listen to. Said they were 905 PT-Lite FM. They mailed me an envelope with the winnings, and a note.” He fished a plain manila file out of his bag, handing it over to Ren. “You can take a look, if you like. Already put the money in my wallet.”

Ren obliged, opening the envelope. As he fished for the note, he felt something taped to the inside. Carefully undoing the tape, he pulled his hand out of the envelope. His eyes widened at the sight: a small card, with the Phantom Thieves logo on it. He quickly flipped it to the other side…and let a long sigh.

“Mishima?”

“What’s up, Ren?”

“Do you have anything to do with this?” He flipped the card over to face Mishima. The phanboy squinted as he read the words on the card:

** REN AMAMIYA, THE MAN WHO FACED A GOD **

** YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO A SOIRÉE AT LEBLANC CAFÉ IN YONGEN-JAYA AT 1900 HOURS **

** A NIGHT OF MYSTERY AND ROMANCE AWAITS YOU, AS WELL AS YOUR TRUE LOVE **

** TAKE YOUR TIME, O GLORIOUS THIEF, AND REMEMBER LOOK THE PART **

** SINCERELY, **

** THE PHANTOM THIEVES OF HEARTS **

Mishima blinked. “Huh?”

* * *

 

“Figures,” Ryuji muttered. “What the hell’s a soirée?”

“If you’ll let me explain- “

“You felt that if they both received similar cards, they would figure out that it would have been made by someone with intimate knowledge of the Phantom Thieves but in a non-malicious way,” Makoto interrupted. “And as such, they would give the benefit of the doubt and actually follow the cards’ instructions. Plus, with Akira out with Mishima, this will ensure that he comes dressed properly for the occasion since he would otherwise be coming right from school.” She sighed. "And that's why you offered to deliver the money to Mishima."

“…you just made sense of an Inari Plan,” Futaba whispered in awe.

“All my ‘plans’ make sense,” Yusuke muttered. “I cannot shoulder the blame if they’re misunderstood. Plus, if you’d had let me finish, I was going to say that I didn’t write Akira’s card. I just created the card itself.”

“Then who- “

“Um.” All eyes turned to Haru, who had a sheepish grin on her face. “I might have had a part of it. I just wanted to try, since I never really got the chance to help with one before…well, everything.”

Ryuji sighed. “Ok, so, looks like I’m asking you then-the eff’s a soirée?”

“Oh, it’s a fancy get-together at a private location!” Haru replied, a glimmer in her eye. “Soirée just sounds so much more refined, don’t you agree?”

“…is it a rich person thing, or what? “

“Ryuji!” Ann snapped.

“Well, mystery solved,” Sojiro drawled. “Seriously,” he muttered, “Who needs entertainment like television when you have teenagers?”

“Tell me about it,” Tae replied, closing the refrigerator door. “For the record, I’m on board with the idea. You’d be surprised how many couples enjoy little mysteries and surprises like that. Just be sure not to have anything too startling. In my professional medical opinion, both of those kids have too much stress in their lives as is, for obvious reasons for Ren especially.” She shook her head. “Honestly, they need a psychiatrist more than they need a physician.”

“Wait, Hifumi’s visited you in the past?” Haru asked, her eyes wide. “I didn’t realize we had such few degrees of separation between us.”

Tae nodded, taking out a pen and notepad and jotting something down. “She came regarding worries about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” she explained. She looked over at Futaba, adding “Which, mind you, we still need to discuss at some point.”

Futaba, to her credit, didn’t argue as much as offer a succinct “Hmph.”

Tae continued. “I didn’t know she and Ren were an item at the time, but she did mention recently meeting the loveliest boy.” She smirked. “And, of course, my little guinea pig seemed to let his emotions towards her fly during some of our examinations.”

“We really need to talk about that whole “guinea pig” thing sometime,” Sojiro muttered. “Still not sure how I feel about you using Ren as a test subject.”

Tae frowned as the others in the room gawked. “Another time, perhaps,” she quickly responded with a glare at Sojiro. The bartend shrugged in response. “It makes sense in context,” Tae assured the group (or so she hoped). Ripping a note off her pad, she handed it to Makoto. “Most of the food is good, but you’ll want to trash the steak and the milk. I also see that you’re missing some ingredients from that list you gave me, so I recommend stopping by the grocery store in the next five minutes if you plan on being ready on time.”

“Your help is sincerely appreciated, Dr.- “Makoto began. Tae glared. “-erm, Tae.”

“It’s no trouble. Like I said, I’m no chef, but a doctor should know how to keep healthy, right?” Tae walked towards the door, pausing as she opened it up. “Oh, and be sure to let our lovebirds know that I’d like to see them sometime.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Sojiro asked, taking a quick swig of coffee.

“If they’re as close as you say,” Tae replied with a grin, “I believe it’s best to discuss STD prevention with them as soon as possible.”

Ignoring the sound of Sojiro spraying coffee all over his countertop and the horrified stares of everyone in the café, Tae strolled out like she’d just won the World Cup singlehandedly.

All was silent in Leblanc.

Then, a frazzled-looking woman burst into the café. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” Kawakami said, her breath heavy. “The trains were ridiculous today, and I…” She paused as all eyes turned to her.

“…did I miss something?”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, folks! Know it's been a while, but work and life kinda got in the way of fanfics. Going to try to keep this going as best I can on a "regular" basis, but hopefully you enjoy whichever holiday you celebrate and enjoy this little gift to go with it!


End file.
